A new trend in Japan could be mocked as the country's "revenge of the nerds", if it were not so serious.

Police in Tokyo's electronics district, Akihabara, have become alarmed at the number of what they call 'geeky types' found to be carrying knives.

It seems that the much-put-upon fans of comics and computer games have decided they are sick of being bullied and are not going to take it any more.

Tokyo's electronics district has spawned a culture all its own: the so-called otaku - literally, obsessive nerds - who have made Akihabara their spiritual home.

They are the regulars in stores that sell comics, computer games and collectible dolls - and everything in between.

Akihabara also has maid cafes, where any otaku can be master of his own domain and be served coffee or receive a foot massage or ear cleaning by a woman wearing a maid's outfit.

But Akihabara's growing fame as nerd heaven has also brought its downside, as Tokyo's criminals have gambled that it does not take much to part a spotty-faced comic buyer from his cash.

Takashi Kogure is the president of the local neighbourhood association.

"There are many small but expensive things," he says.

"So people come carrying lots of money, and the crimes are happening with outsiders targeting outsiders."

Last year, police became worried amidst reports of what became known as 'otaku hunting'. In two separate cases, young men were beaten up by thugs, and appeared to have been targeted because they looked 'otaku'.

In one case, the victim was robbed of more than $A400 in cash, on the same day of the launch of a popular new computer game console.

But police are also worried about the otaku response.

They have reported a five-fold increase in the number of people found carrying illegal knives, and believe that otaku are doing so in self-defence.

Riko, wearing a green velvet and white lace maid's outfit, is spruiking for a maid-themed reflexology salon and says she has friends who have started carrying knives for their own protection.

"If you're talking self-defence, then yes, I have heard of people who carry knives for self defence," she said.

"They do it because they're scared of crime.

"I've seen it myself, I have many friends who carry knives."

That comes amidst increasing crime overall in Akihabara. The figures are worrying Mr Kogure, but he also believes the reports may be overstated.

"The form of crime has changed - for example, in the old days, nobody carried a knife," he said.

"The type of people who come to Akihabara has changed, and since young people started to come we've been having those kinds of things happen.

"In the past the purpose to come here was to buy electrical products.

"But now they come to maid cafes, or to come and buy computer game software. Young people never used to come here much before."

Police say they are stepping up street patrols to reduce street crime, but they are also warning otaku that even if they do pluck up the courage, they should not take matters into their own hands.

Sure they're creepy, but does that mean they should have their lunch money stolen?

Barnett is also known as an otaku to his Japanese fans. Famously traveling to the Akihabara district of Tokyo in order to purchase games, figures, etc, and also using the theme song "Ai o torimodose" from the anime Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) as his entrance theme. At PRIDE Total Elimination Absolute, Barnett called out current PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko, with a famous quote from the anime, "omae wa mou shindeiru", translated to "You're already dead".

Barnett is also known as an otaku to his Japanese fans. Famously traveling to the Akihabara district of Tokyo in order to purchase games, figures, etc, and also using the theme song "Ai o torimodose" from the anime Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) as his entrance theme. At PRIDE Total Elimination Absolute, Barnett called out current PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko, with a famous quote from the anime, "omae wa mou shindeiru", translated to "You're already dead".

he's the pinicle of weebo and otaku everwhere

..

YOU WA SHOCK!!

AI DENSOU OCHIKETURU

YOU WA SHOCK!!

That's five kinds of awesome XD

Though I think it would have been funnier if he said "toki wo tamare" and Wryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy'ed after he won a fight >.>

See. I avoid stuff like that happening to me by being bigger than everyone else and knowning how to knock people off their feet so I can get clear shots at their eyes, throats, and other squishy parts.

Your manliness aside, isn't it easier to strike the throat/eyes/whatever with a person standing? I mean, people tend to roll up and block their important bits when floored.

My usual method of attack is get an arm around them and start throwing my weight around, if needed smack the back of the knees with my foot or somthing, to get them off balance then i sling them to the ground. After doing that I drop onto my knees on either their back or their stomach. This will usually put someone off for another second or two which I take to start jamming my fingers into places that hurt, right under the jaw, in the mouth and pull on the tongue, the eyes. Has proven pretty good so far. Over all I have fought 5 people this way. All of them in to much pain to move until an authority figure got there. I've been thrown off one person but I just got back ontop of him. Most teenagers don't know what the fuck to do if you have a plan for fighting, 4 out of the 5 were teens. The other one was a guy trying to mug my best friend's mom in Laffeyete(spelling wrong) Indiana. She usually took him and I when she went shopping to discourage people trying to mug her. The guy had a knife but I honestly don't care if I get stabbed, I'm confident that I could keep on going and disarm them at the same time.

Fuck that. Japan just needs to abolish the law against wearing swords.

Kaz*CheesyDoritoBomb* wrote:

Lots of painful sounding words

You fight like this guy I know. He's slow as hell, but when you're tangling with a guy who's 300 lbs, I guess it doesn't always matter. Sounds really nasty, though. I usually just try and catch the person with a quick punch to the throat or solar plexus if I want to hurry up and end a fight quick. Actually gettin' the aim right with a shot to the solar plexus is really difficult, but the results are worth it XD Otherwise, I just try to enjoy myself if someone wants to fight. I've never had anyone try to mug me/anyone in the direct vicinity of me. That probably has to do with the fact that I'm almost always carrying my bokuto or shinai on me.

I live in fucking TEXAS. Fuck knives. That's why God gave us the opposable thumb: it's for cocking back the hammer on your gun.

That said, at any given time it is utterly impossible for me to get through a metal detector. I don't even bother trying anymore. I've got so many knives and loose rounds of ammunition on me that I simply can't get them all.

_________________Insane_Megalamaniac
Chancellor of Initiations
Pyro: Noun. Practicioner of the ancient and gentle arts of burning shit down and blowing shit up.

what the fuck? does everyone but me get in a street fights on a daily basis?is this forum populated by teenage gang memebers? Do you know how i don't get stabbed or shot or beaten? <b>i go about my daily fucking business.</b> and febroe anyone says "well that would work for a fat shut-in that never leaves home lulz" i'm sure it works for them too. I leave the house on a daily to every-onther-daily basis, and travel on public transport. I'm polite and friendly in my interactions with strangers, and never feel in danger for my health, beyond those putrid little vectors for sickness and disease called children hacking up their filth and infections all over everything. But that's par for the course, everyone catches colds.

What lands of terror and violence do you all hail from, so i can <b>never fucking go there.</b>

_________________

Last edited by madadric on Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum